Daley Thompson

Daley Thompson (actually Francis Morgan Thompson, born July 30, 1958 in Notting Hill, London) is a former British decathlete. He won 19 of 37 Ten battles in which he had set out was Olympic champion, world champion and European champion and was the winner of the Commonwealth Games. From 1980 to 1986, he remained unbeaten in the decathlon. He set the course of his career on four world records, the last eight years, could not be surpassed.

Career

The Early Years

Until 1976

Francis Morgan Thompson was born as the second son of a Nigerian father and a Scottish woman in London. His father called him Ayodele, that means about the joy of coming home; of this name, then developed his nickname Daley. Daley's father died when Daley was twelve years old, from then on had to make Lydia Thompson alone for her two sons and daughter. Thompson's sporting talent surfaced early and he started in the youth teams of Chelsea and Fulham with the football. In school, he was also known as a sprinter. The Track & Field Coach Bob Mortimer from the London club Haywards Heath Harriers was aware of the young sprinter and Thompson began with a special athletics training. But his innate talent for movement revealed other uses besides the sprint. Mortimer showed his protege the all-around coach Bruce Longden and you thought that you should explore even know what Thompson could show as a decathlete. For this test, the coach reported him in June 1975 the Welsh Open in Cwmbran on. Daley Thompson had indeed already practiced in training all disciplines, some but never in competition. On the other hand, the Welsh Open had an age limit of 18 years for the remaining 16 -year-old Thompson made ​​an exception. On 28 and June 29, 1975 Daley Thompson completed his first decathlon and won with 6685 points ( 6523 ). During the year 1975, Thompson was able in two other ten battles, both also played in Cwmbran, continue to increase. At the British Junior Championships on 30 and 31 August, he won with 7008 points ( 6845 ). On 4 and 5 October Thompson took part in a meet against France and finished with 7100 points ( 6935 ) for second place.

Even his fourth decathlon Thompson graduated in Cwmbran, on 22 and 23 May 1976, he won the British Masters title there with 7684 points ( 7517 ), outperforming the standard of the British Olympic Association by 34 points. On 26 and 27 June Thompson first came to abroad. In a country comparison battle in Copenhagen he reached 10th place with 6639 points ( 6649 ), after he had shown three invalid attempts at the initial height in the pole vault, a somersault Nullo. Nevertheless, he was nominated for the Olympic Games in Montreal. With 7434 points ( 7330 ), he finished in the Olympic decision on July 29 and 30, No. 18, where he also celebrated his 18th birthday on the second day of competition. After he ran the second fastest time of all participants in the 100 - meter dash with 10.79 s, he was left behind, especially in the throwing events not only behind its competitors, but also behind its own merits from May; after all, he succeeded in a decathlon a jump over the four- meter mark in the pole vault. The U.S. Olympic champion from Montreal Bruce Jenner had set a new world record in the competition with 8618 points, second place went to West German Guido Kratschmer with 8411 points. On 4 and 5 September Thompson entered yet for Decathlon in Talence on. There Grebenjuk Alexander won from the Soviet Union with the European record of 8468 points, Thompson reached 7905 points ( 7742 ) to fourth place.

1977-1979

The 1977 season began for Thompson in multi- fight meeting Götzis. With 7921 points ( 7856 ), he was able to increase his personal best of Talence again and finished behind the Austrian Sepp Zeilbauer and the Americans Fred Dixon third. On 25 and 26 June, he stepped on to a country comparison battle with Spain, Denmark and Italy in Madrid and won with 8190 points ( 8056 ). Thus, Thompson had surpassed for the first time, the eight -thousand- point mark. On 30 and 31 July 1977, the semi-finals for Athletics European Cup the all-rounder was held in Sittard. Thompson won with 8124 points ( 8082 ), the British team qualified due to its performance for the final, although the other two British Panayiotos Zeniou remained well with 7256 points and Nick Phipps with 7054 points behind Thompson's performance. At the finals in September, the British Eighth and last were, as Thompson was not at the start; the appearance in Sittard should remain Thompson's only participation in the European Cup. Daley Thompson had completed on 19 and 20 August his fourth decathlon of the season, when he with 7647 points ( 7568 ) won the title at the European Junior Championships in Donetsk. Third in this competition Jürgen Hingsen from Krefeld, on the Thompson in the course of his career, yet often should take. At the Junior World Championships Thompson also finished fifth in the long jump, after he had previously become national champion in long jump.

In July 1978, Thompson was twenty years old in 1978 therefore was the first season in which Thompson's achievements were not considered junior records. Again, Thompson launched at the meeting in Götzis. On May 27 and 28, it reached 8238 points ( 8226 ). He finished in second place behind Guido Kratschmer who came to 8410 points. On 7 and 8 August, the decathlon was held in Edmonton at the Commonwealth Games. Thompson dominated the competition and won with over eight hundred points ahead of Australian Peter Hadfield. His 8467 points ( 8470 ) were more than 1000 points better than the previous record of the Commonwealth Games. However, his long jump was supported by much too much tailwind. This was Thompson and Kratschmer who had increased the end of July the European record 8498 points in the favorite position for the European Athletics Championships in Prague. But Kratschmer was injured in the first discipline on August 30 and retired. Thompson led after the first day with 288 points, but crossed in the pole vault only 4.20 m compared to 4.80 m in Edmonton and was defeated by Alexander Grebenjuk with 51 points. Thompson's score of 8289 (8258) handed but for silver before Siegfried Stark from the GDR and before Zeilbauer. The defeat against Grebenjuk was Thompson's last defeat until September 1987, apart from two broken ten fights. A after a Salto Nullo broken in the pole vault decathlon on July 28 and 29 in Thompson's mite was only in 1979, but at least he won the regional championship in the long jump.

The Golden Years

1980-1982

On 17 and 18 May 1980, the annual meeting was held in Götzis. After the first day Thompson led with 4486 points, but was thus slightly weaker than in Edmonton in 1978 and in Flein 1979. However, Thompson was able to increase on the second day compared to his previous competitions, this time he jumped 4.90 m with the rod and threw the javelin with 65,38 m as far as ever in his career. Before the final competition, the 1500 -meter run, calculated coach Bruce Longden that 4:26 min would be enough to beat the world record of Bruce Jenner. Thompson ran 4:25,49 min and presented with 8622 points ( 8648 ), his first world record. On the second and third places were Guido Kratschmer and Jürgen Hingsen, Zeilbauer finished fourth. Three days before the meeting in Götzis the West German NOK had decided to join the Olympic boycott of Americans. Guido Kratschmer overcame at least a part of his frustration by Bernshausen with 8649 points ( 8667 ), he set a new world record in June. Daley Thompson, however, traveled as a clear favorite for the Olympic Games in Moscow. On July 25, Thompson went clear in the first two disciplines in leadership and had reached 4542 points after five disciplines. On rainy next day he could bring his Olympic victory sovereign to the finish. With 8495 points ( 8522 ), he was well ahead of the two athletes from the USSR, Yuri and Sergei Kuzenko Schelanow. On the fourth and fifth place followed by George Werthner and Sepp Zeilbauer two Austrians. In 1981, Thompson participate only in a decathlon and won the meet against Canada in Saskatoon with 7936 points ( 7798 ), although he did not finish the 1,500 -meter run.

On 22 and 23 May 1982 Thompson stepped up to the meeting in Götzis. Two years after his first world record get him on the first day in the shot put and the 400 -meter run new heights. His 4620 points for the first day no one had yet been reached. The second day he opened with bests in the hurdles and the discus throw. In the javelin throw and the 1500 -meter run him then were enough good, but not outstanding achievements for the new world record of 8704 points ( 8730 ). Second in Götzis was Jürgen Hingsen with 8529 points, the ( 8741 ) increased in August 8723 the world record for Points. Ahead of the European Championships in Athens so that everything pointed to a duel between Thompson and Hingsen. With good, but not outstanding performances put before Thompson in his strong disciplines sprint and long jump. Hingsen could catch up strongly only in the high jump, but after the first day was 114 points behind the Thompson leading with 4549 points. On the second day Thompson demonstrated his mental strength as he increased his personal best by two weak attempts with the discus in the third and last attempt to over a meter to 45.48 meters. In the end, Thompson had with 8743 points ( 8774 ) recaptured the world record with 226 points and a comfortable lead on Jürgen Hingsen, bronze was awarded in 1978 as Siegfried Stark. For Thompson so that the season was not yet over. On 4 and 5 October, the decathlon of the Commonwealth Games was held in Brisbane. He won with 8410 points ( 8424 ) to consider before Canadians Dave Steen with 8004 points.

1983-1986

In 1983, Thompson on June 7 and 8 at the meet against Canada in Etobicoke instead. He won with 8509 points ( 8529 ) and skipped the first time in a decathlon 5.10 m in the pole vault. The performance was not the best list capable because of strong tailwind in the hurdles. Immediately prior to the competition in Canada Hingsen had Bernshausen improved the world record to 8779 points ( 8825 ) and won anyway, just ahead Siegfried Wentz. Thus, the favorites for the World Championships in Helsinki were enumerated. The decathlon was held on 12 and 13 August. Hingsen was very optimistic about the competition, but had already basically lost when he only managed 2.00m in its strongest discipline, the high jump, while Thompson jumped over 2.03 m. Thompson won with 8666 points ( 8714 ) and 105 points ahead of Hingsen and 188 points on Wentz, was behind in fourth Uwe Freimuth from the GDR.

1984 were held in Los Angeles Olympic Games. The Eastern bloc countries except Romania boycotted the Games, mainly Uwe Freimuth met in the decathlon. Thompson, who needed the only British decathlete of rank no qualifications, met on 23 and 24 May to a test in Los Angeles, after nine disciplines 7938 points ( 7806 ) and did not occur in the 1500 -meter run, which is why this decathlon is considered as canceled. While most decathlete in the world would have been very pleased with an output of 7938 points, because this performance would have been sufficient as a qualification for the Olympic Games, it was much more difficult for the West German athletes to qualify. In Mannheim, a meet against Poland was named on the second weekend in June as a qualifying competition. Hingsen improved his world record with 8798 points ( 8832 ), behind him Wentz and Kratschmer qualified. Hingsens third attempt to win as the reigning world record holder against Thompson the most important competition of the year, carried the press accordingly, but whose self-confidence could not affect significantly. In competition, Thompson was as usual in the sprint and long jump best participants. Hingsen brought in the high jump with 2.12 m to 2.03 m on something, and Thompson was the best back in the 400 -meter run. Thompson improved his own record for the first day at 4633 points. He was thus 114 points before Hingsen, behind the two other Germans. After Hingsen on the second day was the fastest in the hurdles and threw the discus throw over 50 meters, he was back to only 32 points. But when Hingsen only reach 4.50 meters in the pole vault, however, Thompson crossed five meters, the contest was decided, and after the javelin was Thompson sure enough in the lead to stroll in the 1500 meter race can. This he did something to extensively because his score was calculated with 8797 points ( 8846 ). Thus, Thompson had missed the world record by the still valid table from 1962 by one point. In 1985, the new decathlon table was introduced, and Thompson broke Hingsen virtually on the Verrechnungsweg as world record holder from. 1986 Thompson's time in the 110- meter hurdles of 14.34 s to 14.33 s was corrected after checking the target photographs. This was his winning score in Los Angeles 8798 points, which meant setting the world record after the 1962 table. After the 1985 table Thompsons record now stood at 8847 points. Dan O'Brien surpassed this record in September 1992. During Thompson by the table change in 1985 became the sole record holder, he performed throughout the year at no decathlon.

It was only on 17 and 18 May 1986 Thompson completed his first decathlon after his second Olympic gold medal. In Arles, he won the meet against France with 8667 points. Immediately before the Commonwealth Games in 1986 in Edinburgh became Thompson in the British press under heavy criticism: The England team management had Thompson selected to carry the flag at the opening ceremony on 24 July; Thompson refused because he felt in his preparation affected the decathlon on July 27 and 28. In competition, he appeared unmoved by the quarrels and convincingly won with 8663 points ahead of Dave Steen, who was behind 490 points. In addition, Thompson was also used in the English sprint relay; in the occupation of Lincoln Asquith, Thompson, Mike McFarlane and Clarence Callender, the squadron ran in 39.19 s only four hundredths of a second behind the Canadians across the finish line. Four weeks later, on August 27 and 28, the decathlon was held at the European Championships in Stuttgart. The competition began as so often with 10.26 s Thompson went right in the first discipline in management, Hingsen caught up in the high jump and after the first day led Thompson 4617 points before Hingsen with 4589 points, 3rd place followed Torsten Voss from the DDR with 4570 points, ahead of Siegfried Wentz with 4521 points. The decision was once more in the pole vault, as Daley Thompson exceeded 5.10 m Hingsen by 50 centimeters. In the end, Thompson won with 8811 points, ahead of Hingsen with 8730 points, 8676 points with Wentz and Voss with 8450 points. Thompson reached the second highest score of his career and had but in the end a rather narrow margin. How four weeks previously in Edinburgh ran Thompson in Stuttgart in the British squadron. In the occupation Elliot Bunney, Thompson, McFarlane and Linford Christie, the squadron reached in 38.71 s as third behind the USSR and the GDR the goal.

End of career

Leading up to the World Athletics Championships 1987 in Rome Thompson - as well Hingsen - plagued by injuries, it was unclear whether he would be back in time in full possession of his powers. Thompson began on September 3rd with 10.67 s and indeed won the first discipline, but was not evident in the form of his great years. Already after the long jump was Torsten Voss in the first place and led after the first day before the Christian Plaziat and Thompson, while Hingsen had abandoned after the high jump. On the second day Siegfried Wentz pulled over the hurdles to Thompson. Thompson fought his way clear through the decathlon and after a javelin throw of 54.14 meters he fell far behind. While Voss won before Wentz, Thompson finished with 8124 points in ninth place, but won by his fighting spirit and the non- task to sympathy. Nine years and four days after the European Championships in Prague ended Thompson a decathlon not first.

On 21 and August 22, 1988 Thompson went on to a decathlon in the Westphalian town location, but participated only in six disciplines. He was sufficiently satisfied with his fitness to compete in the Olympic Games in Seoul. His fourth Olympic decathlon began on 28 September with a discipline victory in 10.62 s in the 100 meters. After a high jump of 2.27 m Christian Schenk went from East Germany in the lead and won the match with almost 100 points ahead of Torsten Voss; 22 points behind the Canadians Dave Steen Thompson finished with 8306 points in fourth place. Thompson and the Austrian Georg Werthner 1988 were the first two decathlete who finished her fourth Olympic decathlon, where Werthner was the first since he finished as faster 1500 - meter runner his decathlon before Thompson.

After Seoul Thompson took another six to ten fighting on, in 1989 in Talence, 1991 and 1992, three times in Trondheim and in London, but he finished not these ten fights. His task in the 100 - meter race on July 11, 1992, the last decathlon activity of his career. The remarkable thing about this last start was, after all, that it was only Thompsons decathlon start in England. He had started his career in the Welsh Cmwbran, the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games won in Edinburgh, Scotland, but in England he had never begun.

Thompson, a competition weight of 89 kg exhibited at a height of 1.84 m, started from 1975 to 1992 a total of 37 ten fights and 28 completed. Of these 28 competitions he won 19 He began his career at the Haywards Heath Harriers and then launched almost his entire career for the Newham and Essex Beagles.

After the career

Daley Thompson was lucky that he was at the height of his career, as in athletics officially by the continued professionalization. He was allowed to be paid for advertising and lives today from the brand Daley Thompson. He stands at sporting events as interviewee and presenter available, holds fitness classes and organized motivational seminars. As a fitness trainer, he worked among others at the football club FC Wimbledon and Luton Town

Daley Thompson has three children from his first marriage and a son with his current partner.

Decathlon in the UK

The British athletes were for many years the world leaders in athletics, but not in the all around. In the very first Olympic decathlon had indeed won in 1904 in St. Louis, the Irishman Tom Kiely, when Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom. But the development of the decathlon to international competition sports had been largely ignored by the British. Thus, the decathlon was recorded in 1966 in the Commonwealth Games program. The best international placement of a decathlete from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was the sixth place of Peter Gabbett at the European Championships in 1971. Daley Thompson was thus the first UK decathlon world-class. In the 1990s, then Dean Macey could enforce internationally.

Thompson and media

Thompson's relationship with the British media was coined in the early years of the press ignored him because he was not a runner, and that he did not like the journalists because they could not do anything with the decathlon. In his first world record in 1980 in Götzis three British journalists were present, none of whom had previously reported a decathlon. The Athletics publicist Bob Phillips said of Thompson: "He was a sensitive character. However, I personally got along always good with him because I was in a position to be able to recite ten disciplines of the decathlon in the correct order, which most British journalists could not. " Thompson's difficult relationship with his home country is also reflected in resist that he took no decathlon in England; before his most important start on the island at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1986, he lay down in the British press, because he did not want to act as a flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

Very different was Thompson's reputation on the European continent and especially in the German press, where it was filed early on as an outstanding athlete. The two world records in 1980 and 1982 were not only the first world records by Thompson, but also the first two world records in the all-around meeting Götzis and established the reputation of the event as an all-around Mecca. In the Federal Republic of Germany Thompson has been recognized for over a decade as the most superior opponents of the native decathlete. In the early years of his career Guido Kratschmer was his main rival, the two met each other at their best only in the world record in 1980 in Götzis. Thompson's Olympic victory in Moscow was perceived in Germany, especially as a missed opportunity for Guido Kratschmer. Was in the Thompson early years of the introverted Kratschmer the major competitor, as proved from 1982, the extroverted Jürgen Hingsen as a permanent rival, as one of the favorites went for years to season climax and the media assured every time that he would be able to beat this time Thompson. Thompson but defeated Hingsen at four major championships and always proved to be the better athlete. In interviews, Thompson described his rival as " Hollywood Hingsen " by which he alluded to on the one hand Hingsens suntan, which he had acquired in the California home of his wife, but on the other hand also devalued Hingsens demonstrative self-confidence as a show element.

Appreciation

After his European Championship success in 1982 with a new world record Thompson was voted athlete of the year in Great Britain, appointed in Europe to Sportsman of the Year and to the MBE. 1983 ( or 1986) he was honored with the Officer rank of the Order of the British Empire, 2000, he was Commander.

1999 asked the journal Athletics The five experts Rolf von der Laage, Ekkehard to Megede, Karl Adolf Scherer, Klaus Otto Verhoeven Sigl and a list of athletes of the century each discipline. In the decathlon all experts for Daley Thompson decided behind it lay Bob Mathias and Dan O'Brien.

In 2002, the statisticians Association Association of Track and Field Statisticans a survey for the best decathlete of all time. Thompson won the vote with 94 % of the votes and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

The classification as the greatest decathlete is based on several factors. Thompson is the only decathlete, who improved the world record four times, and save it won only Bob Mathias, two Olympic gold medals. Only Dan O'Brien and Roman Šebrle were similar long dominant, but both can, in contrast to Thompson boast no immaculate gold medals balance over seven years.

His Zehnkampfbestleistung of 8847 points was surpassed to date (as of June 14, 2009 ) only of the world record holders Šebrle, Tomáš Dvořák and O'Brien. His best performance for the first day, which he set up with his world record in 1984, according to today's point score is 4677 points, was far exceeded by five ten fighters, said Dan O'Brien holds the best performance since 1994 with 4738 points. Thompson's best disciplines were always the 100 - meter dash and the long jump. In the 100 -meter run only Chris Huffins was ever faster in a decathlon above the 7,000 -point mark as Thompson. Even in the long jump is one of Thompson still among the ten strongest ten fighters of all time. To date, no athlete was in a 8000 -point decathlon more points in the four running events collect than 3728 points In 1986, Thompson in Stuttgart.

In English-language sources Thompson is often referred to as the first athlete who held the same time the title of Olympic champion, world champion, European champion and winner at the Commonwealth Games in a single discipline. Since participate except the four teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland only a few European countries, such as Malta and Cyprus at the Commonwealth Games, this statement reduces to the fact that Thompson was the first Briton in an Olympic individual sport, the non-stop at all major championships won.

On November 14, 2013 Thompson was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the World Association of Athletics Federations ( IAAF).

Bests in the individual disciplines

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